Despite only losing 1lb last week I am really starting to enjoy the 5:2 diet and almost find myself looking forward to fast days. Weird eh?
Today's recipe has been a huge hit with both me and Mr B and last night we actually found ourselves getting quite full before we had even finished.
I found this one on a really useful 5:2 app that I have been using which you can find here.
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 chicken breasts, halved lengthways
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 green chilli, chopped
4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ...

One of the things that I am really loving about the 5:2 diet is that it is making me revisit some old recipes. I am also coming to realise that low fat food can actually be super tasty.
I am not sure how much weight I lost last week as am due to weigh in two days time so will keep you posted.
For tonight's dinner I have prepared an old Weightwatchers recipe that I managed to dig out. Here is what you will need:
350g pork tenderloin or fillet cut into strips
1 large onion, chopped
400g chopped tomatoes
150ml red wine
1 tbsp tomato puree
150ml vegetable stock
1 tsp herbes ...

It is now week two of my 5:2 diet and I am once again relying on a soup recipe of my Mum's to get me through lunch. This week I am having this delicious courgette-curry soup.
To make this you will need:
2 sliced shallots
1 garlic clove chopped
10g olive/low-fat spread
1 tsp curry powder
1 tbsp white flour
1 chicken stock cube...you could use vegetable stock cube if preferred or if vegetarian
150ml water
450g courgettes sliced
300ml semi-skimmed milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Basil leaves to serve
Put shallots, garlic and olive spread in a large ...

Desperate to lose some of the baby-weight I have recently embarked on the 30 day shred once again. Whilst it feels great to be exercising again I am not too happy with the rate of weight loss. Patience is not a particular strength of mine.
Not being one to let any new diet or exercise fad pass me by I have decided to give the 5:2 diet a go. I know several bloggers have had great success with it, the lovely Steph from I'm Counting UFOZ and Lucy from The Mummy Returns to name but two.
Today is my first day and this is what I have just had for lunch.
The recipe is actually one I got ...

We recently entered a competition hosted by Money Supermarket entitled 'The Charcoal Challenge'. As part of the competition we were provided with £50 in funds to help us host a BBQ. With the recent birth of Little Miss E this seemed like a perfect opportunity to invite over a few friends and celebrate her arrival so we jumped at the chance to take part. It also helped that Mr B received a brand new Weber BBQ as his Fathers Day present this year.
Here is how we spent our funds:
ALDI
Premium Sausage Selection 3.98
Butchers Choice Sausages 1.59
Aberdeen Angus Burgers 2.49
Salad ...

Actimel have recently launched a new flavour, Mango and Passionfruit Actimel. We used ours to make a super-fruity-summer smoothie. Each bottle contains live cultures, thought to be good for the gut, and vitamins B6 and D so as well as being delicious they are good for you too.
Here is what you will need:
1 Actimel Mango and Passionfruit
1/4 fresh pineapple cubed
1/2 fresh mango cubed
1/2 glass orange juice
Lots of ice cubes.
Simply place all of the above in your blender and blend. If you want a super-smooth consistency you could also sieve before serving.
Delicious, ...

As W is getting bigger he is enjoying helping out in the kitchen more and more and is becoming more confident the more we make things together.
This week we had fun making these quick and simple tasty tuna fishcakes.
For this you will need:
One tin of tuna.
One spring onion
One slice of bread.
Few sprigs of parsley
Black pepper
One tbsp ketchup
Half tbsp mayonnaise
Olive oil
First place your tuna in a mixing bowl. W had great fun spooning it from a smaller bowl into the larger mixing bowl which is good gross motor practice and gave me time to trim and chop up the ...

This is such a quick and simple thai green curry dish that is perfect for an easy midweek supper and should be a hit with the whole family, even the kids. I came across the recipe over on the BBC Good Food website and we love it.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20-25minutes
Approximate calories per portion: 337kCal
Serves: 2 adults and 2 children
You will need:
4 small skinless, chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1 tbsp oil
1-3 tbsp of thai green curry paste
400ml can coconut milk
1 small courgette, halved lengthways and then thinly sliced.
100g green beans, ...

This is another quick and simple recipe that we discovered watching the C-Beebies programme I Can Cook. It is a great one to make with your toddler or even older children.
For these vegetable samosas you will need:
1 carrot, precooked
1 spring onion
3 small new potatoes, peeled and cooked
1 large tablespoon of peas
6 sheets of filo pastry
1 large tablespoon of curry paste, we used tikka masala paste
2 tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil
Firstly on a chopping board chop the carrot and potatoes into approximately 1cm size chunks using a table-knife. Place these in a ...